A Distributor's Place in the Supply ChainBy Jason BaderPrincipal - The Distribution Team

Several years ago, a friend shared a short YouTube video with me called LeadershipLessons from a Dancing Guy narrated by Derek Sivers. Have you even had thatmoment where you were dumbstruck by the simplicity of a message and how well itwas illustrated? This is the reaction I had the first time I saw this video. The contenthas now become a pivotal part of all the management classes I teach and I amcertainly not alone.

It is commonly shown in graduate leadership courses and corporate events. If youhave not been exposed to it, simply look up the title in your favorite search engine and links will flood to your screen. Spoiler alert. In this article, I will be sharing my perceptions of the content and what I see as the greatest lessons for distribution leaders.In this rather comedic video, taken at an outdoor music festival, we are shown a shirtless guy dancing alone on a hillside. Dancing might be a liberal interpretation for the wild body gesticulations he is engaged in. In a few moments, a couple of other concert goers join him in his enthusiastic self-expression.

Pretty soon, a couple more people join in and then you start to see this change of momentum. Over the next couple of minutes, you see more people joining this merry band of dancers.Finally, there is this mad rush by those nearby to leap up and join the throng before the music dies.

From lone dancing goofball to massive dance party in about 3 minutes. How and why did this occur? What causes people to join a cause or activity? Sivers explains how leadership is dependent on cultivating the first few followers.

Leaders Must Be Willing to be Unconventional It isn’t easy to move away from the status quo. This is especially true in times of prosperity. When things are good, what motivation do we have to stir the pot? Unfortunately, the status quo often leads to complacency and an overindulgence in self-worth. Problems occur when the economic tide shifts out of our favor a bit. If we have been out of the practice of creativity and reflection, the business climate has a way of coming up and slapping us with a dose of reality. I am a firm believer in the expression, you only coast one way. As a leader, we must constantly look for new and better ways to manage our organizations.

How can we serve customers even better than we do today? How can move products through our system even better than today? How do implement greater productivity tools? Sometimes this inquisitive nature can make others in the company uncomfortable and cause them to question your judgement. Time to thicken that skin and break a few eggs. Leadership is not for those who always want to look good.

Treat Your First Followers as Equals

Everyone knows the organizational hierarchy. It doesn’t have to be stated on a daily basis. The best leaders invite their followers to join them in the big picture. When the leader sees the spark insomeone’s eye, they must work to foster that interest. Collaboration and public acceptance are strong motivators for the first follower. If we want to keep those first few people interested in the cause, whether large or small, we need to continually give those followers a greater role and opportunity to reap the internal benefits of success.

Be easy to follow. Don’t make the goal or objective so complicated that it confuses your team. When you simplify the concept, risk of failure is reduced. Don’t get me wrong, failure is natural byproduct of creativity. We just don’t want failure to remove the team’s desire to continue the process. I believe that it comes down to three basic steps: Introduce the idea, be vulnerable enough to go out on a limb and make it safe for others to join you.

Leaders Allow Others to Shine.

True leaders understand that they do not need to take credit for every great idea or direction in theorganization. If they are truly the cause of every success in the company, which is most certainly not true, then why do they need others? I have seen countless “leaders” work ridiculous hours to make sure that everything was running according their plans. As I am sure you would agree, this thinking is fundamentally flawed. It will ultimately result in burnout, resentment and continuous turnover in the company.

There is nothing wrong with being the fire starter, but others must fan the flames. You may have lit the match, but the real success of the fire came from the others willing to join you in the activity. By giving credit to those who really do the work, followers will be more willing to recognize an opportunity when you bring something home. As leaders, we should be continuously working ourselves out of a job or responsibility. Ideally, we want to foster this creative spirit so others can bring great ideas to the table.

By stepping aside and letting others shine, we open ourselves up to seek the next change in direction. I have shown this video to hundreds of class participants over the years. Not only does it give a bit of comedic pause for those sitting in the seats, but I am constantly amazed by what they take away from the content. They share unique and interesting perspectives every time. As an educator, I live for that light-bulb moment in the audience. As a business leader, you should be constantly finding ways to ignite that spark of curiosity in your followers. Remember, leaders are not self-appointed.

Good luck.

About the Author:Jason Bader is the principal of The Distribution Team. He is a holistic distribution advisor who ispassionate about helping business owners solve challenges, generate wealth and achieve personal goals. He can be found speaking at several industry events throughout the year, providing executive coaching services to private clients and letting his thoughts be known in an industry publication or two. He recently launched his first podcast, Distribution Talk. Episodes can be found at www.distributiontalk.com. He can be reached at (503) 282-2333 or via email atjason@distributionteam.com.